Connor struggled with reading and writing and after being tested, they said he had an unspecified learning disability. They told me it was very mild and that they would have it kicked by the time he got out of elementary school. I was caring for my mother who was suffering from dementia during this time frame. I trusted what they said. I regret that tremendously.

Connor made small advances in reading but his writing did not improve. I now know that because of a lack of phonetic awareness , he couldn’t spell. He is a perfectionist and became stubborn about writing, not wanting to make a mistake. If I wrote what he said he used his huge vocabulary and very complex sentences. At school he dumbed down his sentences and wrote a bare minimum of four to five sentences.

The school suggested a Reading 180 program after school three days a week for 90 minutes. I agreed and he did it. It wasn’t until his second year of that program when I questioned something in a meeting that they informed me this program was for reading comprehension. Connor was not deficient there in fact he scored advanced in that area.

Connor didn’t know that phonetics were what he was lacking , but he did know that this program was not what he needed. He became very frustrated and angry. refusing to do homework. refusing to write at school. etc. Just becoming a child so unlike the delightful optimistic child he had always been.

We got to fifth grade and the idea of sending him to middle school made me sick to my stomach and hence the idea to homeschool was born. I was scared to death, but knew his best shot at turning this around was with me.

We had wonderful success last year using a remedial reading program designed for 3rd graders to adults. It is called Back on The Right Track Reading Lessons and can be found here: http://www.righttrackreading.com/. It was a very tough comprehensive program that I loved because it was at his intelligence level and not dumb-ed down. In fact it helped increase his vocabulary. It was intensive and some days we hated it, but we pushed through.

He now reads and has confidence to tackle any word without hesitation. His spelling has improved incredibly and his writing is no longer the stressor it had been for years. Best of all, I gained back the Connor I knew before this all began. I feel like a huge success and want to scream from the mountain tops! Anyone questioning homeschooling , should just do it! Don’t know anyone who is that regrets it…. I love how close this journey has made us.

This year we will concentrate on the writing. I can’t wait to see how this year ends up and what we accomplish. We have not had a good start up except with math, which he loves and will do for over two hours. We had an issue with the theater group he has been doing since January, that greatly damaged him and has infected our homeschooling. Will detail that next week. The good news is that fiasco is over and he is ready to move forward with brand new focus.

Gratitude-I am grateful for supportive friends and family who guide me during stressful times and who listened when I needed an ear this past week .

Outfit Details

Jacket- Molly & Maxx Petite- Thrifted

Top- Will Smith- T. J. Maxx several years ago

Trouser Jeans-Diane Gillman- via HSN

Leopard Slingbacks- Chadwicks online– last year

Turtle Necklace- Vintage Avon – was my mother’s

Hoop Earrings- Whispers Hypo Allergenic –from website

Anyone wishing to leave comments, for some reason mine is at the top of the post and I have researched how to move it to the bottom, with no success. Would love to hear from you and thank you for taking the time to read my homeschooling info. Happy Monday!

You touched on a subject near and dear to my heart. I too have a daughter who could not read despite all of my wonderful parenting. (Tongue in cheek) She was going to public school and her older sister only a grade ahead was doing really well in school in fact reading above grade level. Unlike you however homeschooling was not an option for me because I was a single parent and had to work. I however had an advantage because my background was in Special Education. So when I went through the testing results with the school I had a unique perspective. At the Individual Education Plan meeting the county head of the Reading Programs attended. Much to the embarrassment of her colleagues she stated that my child probably didn’t have a learning disability but had not been read too very much because I was a single parent. I looked at her and laughed and said are you out of your mind..How many other parents have you said that too. Well the principle stopped the meeting rescheduled it and didn’t invite her back. Long story short I had the benefit of my education to know what they were proposing to do with my child. She is now in college and on the Dean’s List. I was lucky because i understood the system. I often wonder how many other parents have to end up doing it themselves. I applaud you for your efforts. You have bonded with your son and that is worth everything. Oh and I love your style too.

Your child was so blessed to have you fighting for her. I found the school really lacking in the ability. After going through that intensive phonetic work, I can tell you there is no way the school had the time necessary to do what we accomplished in one short year. They just kept telling me he was so intelligent and that would get him through. They gave him word prediction software to help with writing, but he never used it because the first time he tried the word he was looking for wasn’t in there. He was too advanced with his vocabulary! So glad to hear how well your daughter is now doing! You should be so proud of both her and yourself! Congratulations!

Thank you! I love homeschooling and I am so happy knowing that I am going to make sure this child gets what he needs and is ready for college, something I seriously questioned with the way the school was going….